Cuisine Names Aotearoa New Zealand’s Top Dining Spots For 2024

More than 300 establishments have been named today and will be featured in the highly anticipated Cuisine Good Food Guide 2024/5, to be released on 26 August, 2024. The restaurants span the length of the country and showcase the top hospitality establishments, from fine dining and regional destinations to metropolitan and neighbourhood favourites.

Following the release of this year’s Cuisine Good Food Guide, 20 category winners and over 90 hatted restaurants, including Restaurant of the Year and Chef of the Year will be announced at the esteemed Cuisine Good Food Awards event, presented by American Express. To be held at the Park Hyatt in Auckland on Monday 26th August, this year’s awards will feature two new categories: New Restaurant of the Year and Ōra King New Zealand Global Champion 2024.

The Cuisine Good Food Guide 2024/5, which celebrates its 20th year this year, contains around 60 more restaurants than last year’s selection. This is a deliberate move by Cuisine and it’s 40-strong judging panel comprising food writers, critics, chef and hospitality professionals, designed to showcase even more of the country’s talent – and to encourage patronage and support of the nation’s outstanding restaurants.

“Dining out is all about making memories,” says Cuisine owner and editor Kelli Brett. “Wherever we are across our beautiful country there are standout places that we enjoy eating at again and again. The places we’re excited to take friends or visitors to. The ones that consistently deliver great food, standout service and a quality experience. And we need to keep supporting them.”

“As we all know, the hospitality industry has been under pressure for some time. First hit by covid shutdowns and more recently the constraints of staffing shortages and consumers being forced to tighten their belts, now more than ever, the industry needs support.”

According to Kelli this could be as simple as booking an earlier – or later sitting if available – so that the team can fit in more covers in an evening.

Through its deep understanding and championing of the industry over the past 20 years, Cuisine has identified emerging trends that Kelli believes have developed as restaurateurs respond and adapt to the challenging economic dynamics that continue, and there’s much to be excited about.

“Bar food and chef’s snacks have had a welcome upgrade,” she says. “Sometimes you don’t feel like a full meal, or you want to while away the pre-dinner timeslot with a fantastic cocktail and something delicious to nibble on. Thankfully the days of ‘only a plate of chips’, have gone, replaced by more interesting, thoughtful and downright delicious snackable fare.”

Cuisine has also seen an emergence of small pop-ups where talented young chefs have the chance to do guest slots providing a great training ground and platform for them to experiment, before taking the next step in their careers or the leap to their own establishment.

An important trend that may go unnoticed by some customers is a deliberate move to eliminate food waste. This is borne out of a need and desire to be kinder to the planet as well as being more conscious of quantities of stock on hand for prudent cost control (a lesson learned from covid lockdowns). This is coupled with more paired back menus (five to six degustation courses versus 9 plus), a continued drive towards local seasonality, and of course, a move to more sustainable business practices.

“We’re seeing that restaurants are looking carefully at their overall offering and at how to pair things back yet still maintaining the essence of the establishment and delivering great value and exceptional taste. This looks like rare luxury ingredients giving way to sustainable high-quality products. Comfort food – and a return to the dishes that we all know and love – is in.”

Keeping customers and getting them to return again and again is driven by a combination of exceptional service and exceptional food. “There is an art to a great service and the role it plays in the overall experience,” says Kelli.

“A good front of house professional needs to be a bit of a mind-reader. They need to know when to approach to take an order or when to allow the table a moment longer before interrupting. Gone are the days of reeling off all the ingredients and processes of a single dish. Rather we’re seeing waiters able to share just enough information so as not to overwhelm, but sufficient knowledge to answer diner’s questions, allow them to make informed choices and encourage them to match dishes and/or drinks to elevate the experience.”

“For the third year we’re thrilled to once again be working with American Express, as our presenting partner. They share our passion for this initiative and for supporting and celebrating Aotearoa’s incredible hospitality industry,” adds Kelli.

Rob Bourne, American Express New Zealand Country Manager, says, “American Express is proud to sponsor the Cuisine Good Food Awards, showcasing the very best of New Zealand’s chefs, restaurateurs and dining experiences. Our Card Members are passionate about dining out and find real joy in experiencing the country’s diverse hospitality scene. We’re thrilled to support Cuisine in recognising this year’s champions of the industry and applaud their dedication.”

To access the full list of 317 restaurants, readers will need to register here.

The categories for the 2024 Cuisine Good Food Awards and their sponsors are as follows:

1. Greenstone Creek Metropolitan Restaurant of the Year
2. Yellow Brick Road Regional Restaurant of the Year
3. Specialist Restaurant of the Year
4. Casual Dining of the Year
5. Hotel Restaurant of the Year
6. Restaurant Personality of the Year
7. Innovation Award 2024
8. Winery Restaurant of the Year
9. Villa Maria Sommelier and Wine Experience of the Year
10. Garage Project Drinks List of the Year
11. Long-term Player 2024
12. Valrhona Pastry Chef of the Year
13. Luxury Lodge Chef of the Year
14. Clyth Macleod Rising Talent 2024
15. Niwa Haku Kingfish Champions for Change 2024
16. Pead Legend Award 2024
17. Cuisine Chef of the Year
18. American Express Restaurant of the Year
19. New Restaurant of the Year – New category in 2024
20. Ōra King New Zealand Global Champion 2024 - New category in 2024

About the Cuisine Good Food Awards

Presented by American Express, the Cuisine Good Food Awards (CGFA) are the global benchmark for New Zealand Restaurant quality celebrating brilliance in one of the industries that has been challenged the most during COVID-19 lockdowns countrywide. Now in its 20th year, the awards acknowledge the very best of New Zealand’s restaurants and chefs nationwide and produces the Cuisine Good Food Guide, showcasing outstanding places to eat and drink across the country. The Awards is the only nationwide restaurant awards programme of its kind. Independently owned, it is viewed globally as the authority on the dining scene in New Zealand. Cuisine selects over 40 experts located around the country, led by food and dining expert Kerry Tyack and Cuisine Editor Kelli Brett, to anonymously judge restaurants nationwide throughout the year and determine the list and winners. The partners for the Cuisine Good Food Awards 2024 include American Express, Clyth Macleod, Garage Project, Greenstone Creek, NIWA - Haku Kingfish, Ora King Salmon, Pead, Valrhona, Villa Maria and Yellow Brick Road.

About Slick and Sassy Media Ltd and Cuisine Magazine

Previously owned by Fairfax Media NZ Ltd, Cuisine was purchased in December 2017 by Slick & Sassy Media Ltd. Owner and editor Kelli Brett is thrilled to be the leader of New Zealand’s most respected and trusted food, drink and lifestyle media brand and is excited at what lies ahead. For over 34 years Cuisine has shared the stories of those who grow, produce and cook our world-class food and drink and has forged strong ties to the hospitality industry by building and developing a global reputation for Aotearoa as a premium dining destination. An important component of the Cuisine brand is the New Zealand Cuisine Good Food Awards.

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